Compare and Contrast the Characters of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley

Q- Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley?

Although both of them are best friends with some similarities, they are somewhat quite different from each other.

Mr. Bingley is considering being an attractive young man. His pleasant character and personality are a source of attraction for young ladies. Besides being handsome, he was very kind and gentle in his behavior.

 "Mr. Bingley was good looking and gentleman like; he had a pleasant countenance and easy, unaffected manners."

On the other hand, Darcy also attracted the attention of everyone at the ball.

                "Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features."

But he was not very much gentle and friendly as Bingley. He was proud, stubborn, and self-conceited. So excessive pride is his hamartia.

Mr. Bingley's behavior at the ball accurately depicts his personality. He was a compassionate and easygoing person having no hatred for inferior classes. Even at the ball, his attitude toward everyone was quite welcoming.

                 "Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room."  

Bingley was the person who could easily win the hearts of the people around him with his attitude and actions. Even Elizabeth was very much impressed by him.

                 "I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance for a second time."

On the other hand, Darcy was highly proud, reserved, and had a low opinion of inferior classes. He was the worst example of a class-conscious individual. His strange attitude at the ball reflected the facts, as mentioned earlier.

                   "What a contrast between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced with only once Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley declined of being introduced to any other lady."

He was considered to be the proudest and the most disagreeable man. His comments about Mrs. Bennet depict his mental status. His bitter and satirical remark about Mrs. Bennet is given above:

                     "You are dancing with only handsome girl in the room, said Mr. Darcy looking at the eldest Miss Bennet."

But Bingley was very much mature in his reply to Darcy.

                      "Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I ever had."

Both were sensible, but Darcy was very much witty, and Bingley trusted his judgments and decision. So Darcy was blessed with decision-making power.

                      "In understanding, Darcy was superior."

Darcy's comments about women's imagination are a true reflection of his vision and wisdom.

 "A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment."

Darcy had temperament issues, and he sometimes behaved oddly.

 "He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious. And his manner, well-bred, were not inviting."

In this regard, Bingley has an edge.

 "In this respect, his friend had greatly the advantage."

Both of them belong to the aristocratic class. Darcy's estate is rumored to be 'ten thousand' a year, while Bingley is not poor either (being worth four of five thousand a year).

One of the most important points about both the characters is that Mr. Bingley does not transform thought the novel. But on the other hand, we find transformation in the character of Mr. Darcy. So, Mr. Bingley is a flat character, whereas Darcy is a round character.

Bingley is too obedient to Darcy's advice, which does not always lead to a suitable outcome. Darcy acts as the 'father figure' to Bingley. Bingley has a sense of blind trust in him.

Critical Evaluation:

One of the essential questions that stir the reader's imagination is which character is better. In my opinion, Darcy is better because of his transformation in the novel. In one instance, he has a deficient opinion of Elizabeth, but he got attracted to her afterward.

"She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me."